A visit from the other Jenkins

Last Friday night Matt and Jennica came up to visit us. It was so much fun. We had a lot of laughs and great conversation. On Saturday we went to the temple and then went to dinner at Famous Dave's. Then we decided we needed to go to Walmart to buy some games. Austin and I only own one game we received as a wedding present: The Celestial Companionship Game (a hard one to play with just one couple), and three decks of unopened cards. So we went and bought a couple new games and went back to the house. We saw a side of Jennica we'd never seen before either. She is quite a competitive gamer. It was so much fun.

Thanks guys for coming up. We had a blast and are so grateful for your friendship.(I borrowed this picture from Jennica's blog. I really should have taken more pictures.)

Eagle High Basketball

One of the first weeks we were up here in Idaho my uncle Kenny and aunt Mari took us to dinner and to an Eagle High School basket ball game. They were undefeated this season and were way fun to watch. Austin and I recognized some of the boys on the team working out at the gym. Austin befriended some of the boys....so then we were obligated to go since we now knew who the boys were. We went to more games and they did really well. We went to the state semi-final games after going to dinner with kenny and mari and their kids. Rick and Sherri (aunt & uncle) were also at the game and we were one big happy family, especially since Kenny got us seats right down in front. The next night we went to the championship game. The arena was a lot more crowded than we expected and we didn't get seats as close as the night before. They didn't end up winning.....but it was still fun to go. There is nothing like high school sports. T

So when I went to take this picture right before the game Maddie was the only one who was looking. But it's okay it was her birthday anyways.....happy birthday Maddie!

Experimenting in the Kitchen

So my fabulous mom has always been super health conscious. We always ate super healthy growing up and she is always experimenting with new recipes finding ways to make them more healthy....and still taste great. So mostly I have always called her and just asked for the healthy version of her recipes. However since we have been in Idaho I've become a little bit more brave in my own experimenting.

Since I have been able to spend a lot more time at home I have started baking bread instead of buying it. Thanks to my mom I have several great bread recipes. But I tried some things on my own and was pleasantly surprised when everything turned out okay. Apparently I still struggle with cutting the dough into equal halves.
So this is my very own new whole wheat bread recipe.

4 1/2 c. wheat flour
2 1/2 c. warm water
2 tbs. yeast (add to water and let react)
4 tbs. unsweetened applesauce (replacement for oil)
1/4 c. honey or 1/3 c. agave nectar
3 tbs. wheat gluten
6 tbs. flax seed (ground)

Let rise. Put in bread pans. Rise again. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes

Valentines Day 2010

Valentines weekend was so much fun this year. My cute husband came home from work on Friday the 12th with some very pretty roses. He said with Valentines being on a Sunday this year he didn't want to look like he was slacking and leave on Saturday to get roses so he just did it early. I thought it was very sweet he even thought that.

Then Saturday night he told me I needed to sleep in on Sunday. I just figured he was making me breakfast or something. However when he came in to get me Sunday morning I came out to this....Hottie Austin woke up early and hand dipped these cinnamon bears for me. Anyone who knows me well knows I absolutely love dark chocolate....it's the best thing ever. I also love cinnamon candy. About a week before valentines day the Panters hosted a fabulous game night for everyone. There were lots of fun treats and I couldn't seem to stop with the cinnamon bears. As we were leaving Austin said something about chocolate covered cinnamon bears, and was surprised when both Sheryl and I said we had never had a chocolate covered cinnamon bear. So on Valentines morning I got to try my first dark chocolate covered cinnamon bear......and I loved them.

Why not dress comfy?

After I had my job interview last month I got home and decided I wanted to put something comfortable on..... but also knew we would be going to the temple when Austin got home from work. So being lazy I improvised.

Timbermine with the Adults

We went to dinner with the Jenkins family over super bowl weekend. It was so much fun and way different just eating with the adults. Sunday dinners with the whole fam are awesome, but it was un to just be with adults and have fun conversation.

Thanks to Scott and Becky for taking us all to dinner. It was so much fun!

So Austin is just an amazing husband.....period. I don't know what the deal has been, but the past couple of weeks I have been continually sick. I have always felt like I've had a great immune system and hardly ever got sick. In fact while working at the childrens school at Weber State for three semesters I don't ever remember having to call in sick to work. And I was constantly surrounded by sneezing, coughing, runny-nosed kids.

I guess not having been exposed to all that lately maybe had an effect on my immune system or something....but a couple of days into my new job I got a serious head cold. I felt awful and was so surprised to be so sick....or so I thought.

So after finally starting to feel better I was super bugged to start feeling sick again, only this time it was my stomach. I came home from work and immediately claimed my spot on the couch. Austin got me everything I needed and was taking complete care of me. Later I was so sick.....and while in the bathroom leaning over the toilet I was surprised and so grateful when I felt my back being rubbed. He even cleaned up the bathroom for me, and then ran to the store to buy me a box of saltines and 7-up.

I am so grateful for such an amazing husband. He is super thoughtful and is always surprising me. A couple of weeks ago he even surprised me with a book he bought for me on the way home from work, after I had told him I had just finished the book I was reading and didn't know what I would read next because I was out of books in the house. He even called his mom and sister to get some suggestions on good books they have read.

Austin is so amazing and I love him so much. Thanks Aust for being the best!

I love these pictures of Aust. One Sunday he started teasing me because I always am wearing his clothes (socks, sweatshirts, t-shirts, etc.). He said he was sick of it and he was going to find something of mine and wear it. He came out of the bedroom in these amazing sweatpants I got when my family was in Sun Valley back in 2003. The store only had one pair....an extra large but they looked so comfy so i just cut the bottoms off so they wouldn't be too long and tied the draw string. They are way comfy by the way......and my husband looks so hot in them.

(P.S. If anyone has seen this sweatshirt we realized when I showed Aust this post we have no idea where it is. We don't know if we loaned it or lost it.....so sad)

Happy Birthday Mom

Today is my sweet mom's birthday. I don't know a lady on this planet who is more giving and selfless. Throughout my life I have watched her serve our little family, extended family, and any one else she comes in contact with. I know they don't come better than my mom.

P.S. - The above picture was taken in Disneyland. Every once in a while my dad will become obsessed with certain movies. For a while it was the Lord of the Rings then it was Pirates of the Caribbean (I think he saw it in the theater 5 times or something like that). Anyways, so we had to take a picture of my dad's two favorite people (at the time) Mom and Captain Jack Sparrow.

In Disneyland 2006. Dad sent all the girls for UEA weekend. (My hair looks so cute because I was the only one apparently who got wet on Splash Mountain.....typical.)

It was definitely awesome to grow up singing (mostly learning from...) with my mom and sisters. She has such an amazing voice. We used to sing and harmonize around the house, especially on Sunday afternoons after church while helping get Sunday dinner ready. Someone would just start singing or humming and before you knew it everybody was tuning in trying out new harmonies and stuff. I miss it!
(Mom, Me & Whit singing at Steve & Jordie's wedding breakfast.)

This picture was taken during spring break in 2007 . I remember my mom calling me at work on a Tuesday and asking if I would like to leave the next day with her and Emma and head up to Montana. My parents had decided they would be moving there, but had to decide between a couple houses/areas. My mom was taking Emma up to check out the schools in both areas. It was a fun trip and I had a great time with Emma and my mom.

She is such an amazing example to all of us and we love her so much. She is such an amazing friend to me. I call her all the time and I'm sure drive her crazy (especially when I'm trying to bake something and have to call her three or four different times in a 30 minute period).

This picture was taken Thanksgiving weekend 2008....pretty much right after Jordie delivered Deacon and right before Whit had Hallie.

Plus now we get to see her as a grandma.....she is an awesome grandma as well.

Happy Birthday Mom. You're the best, love you!